Joseph f



(No ModeL') J. F. THORNTON.

BUTTON FASTENER.

No. 335,162. Patented Feb. 2, 18.86.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOSEPH F. THORNTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIG-NOR TO THE UNION EYELET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUTTON- -FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,162, dated February 2:, 1886.

Application filcdJnne 12, 1835. Serial No. 168,471. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPI-I F. THORNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain'new and useful Button-Fastening. of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, and comparatively inexpensive button-fastening, which can be easily introduced and removed from the eye of a button without the use of tools, and which will, after insertion, firmly and reliably secure the button in position. I accomplish this by lessening the amount of stock required for the fastener-blank,and by constructing the blank of a novel and peculiar form I dispense with hooks or prongs as a securing means. I cut out from a flat strip or piece of metal a bifurcated blank, one arm of which is considerably longer than the other and diverges therefrom, so as to form a slightly-tapering slot between the two. Thelonger arm is bent or crimped into a loop part way of its lengthfjadapted to engage with the eye of the button. The short arm and the parts of the long arm on either side of the loop are adapted to form fiat bearing-surfaces, which press against the material to secure the button.

The fastener presents a smooth surface on its exposed side.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the button and fastener, the engaged material being shown in section. Fig. 3 shows the fastener as applied.

Similar letters indicate like parts where they occur in the drawings.

A represents the blank, which is cut out of a single strip or piece of metal, and has along arm, A, and a short arm, A said arms diverging to form a slightly-tapering slot, A The long arm A is bent or crimped into a loop, A*. 4 5

B is a button,having an eye, B, of the ordinary form.

C is the material through which the eye 13 is passed to engage first the arm A, and finally,for fastening purposes, the loop A of the fastener. After the loop A has received the eye B of the button the button draws the fastener up against the engaged material 0, when the upper face of the arm A and of the parts of the arm A on either side of the loop 5 5 A form fiat bearingsurfaces, which allow the fastener to lie closely against the material and present on its outer face a smooth exposed surface.

This fastener obviously can, without in any degree impairing its durability or future efficiency, be inserted and removed as frequently as may be necessary or desirable.

It is equally obvious that by the use of my invention I am relieved of the inconvenient 6 necessity of using any form of tool to insert or remove the fastener or secure it in place.

I claim as my invention- A flat bifurcated button-fastener, A, pro vided with two slightly-divergent arms, A A one of which, A, is slightly longer than the other and crimped or bent to form a loop, A*, adapted to engage the eye of the button for retaining purposes, all as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of June, 1885.

JOSEPH F. THORNTON.

Vitnesses:

HENRY MARSH, J12, FRED. A. YOUNG. 

